Eminent members of the nation’s intellectual elite, including the V.C of the Dhaka University and three former illustrious vice-chancellors, have in a statement appealed for action against encroachments upon the Ramna venue of the main morning celebration of the Bengali New Year. Last year this nuisance squeezed all approaches to the venue resulting in stampede and other unpleasant incidents on top of most vilely injuring the serene beauty of the ambience of the Pahela Baishakh dawn. We Join the intellectuals in calling for steps against the trespassers and unauthorised shops etc. We would, in fact, go a step further in urging authorities of all kind and the citizenry at large to act in a fashion that can con-tribute to the success of the occasion.

This nation is possibly one in appreciating the importance of the Chhayanaut musical presentation held to herald the dawning of the Bengali new year. This has grown into a national institution and as the mother of all festivity held on the occasion, contributing so much to the culture and unity of the Bengali nationhood, it deserves the loving support of all. Starting from the Ramna bautomiif the festival has spread to all towns of the country and has even reached the villages. It will not be too much to say that the special way Chhayanaut has been invoking the Pahela Baishakh with the choicest musical creation of the Bengali genius— has helped in a big way to affect a very welcoiM change in our attitude to music and, indeed, also to ideas about big congregations of people. The whole area, including and around the Ramna Greens turns on that morning into a most colourful throng of about two to three hundred thousand men, women and children — all come to have a feel of the morn, not tempted by any promise of entertainment.